Ferndale resident Beverly Yono said her son David Louis was ecstatic Friday after the pair had a day of Christmas shopping in Detroit.

“It was such a beautiful day,” said Beverly Yono, 54. “He was so happy.”

By the day’s end, Louis, 32, was dead after being hit by a motorist on Woodward Avenue.

As Yono struggles to bury her son, it remains unknown whether more vehicles struck Louis than the single Ford Crown Victoria which initially stopped at the scene. As far as Yono’s concerned, however, there could have been as many as two other drivers that hit her son and kept going.

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The official Detroit Police Department accident report details that Louis left Spears Bar at Woodward and West McNichols around 7 p.m., walked into the street and was hit. One car stopped at the scene, but Officer Dan Donakowski said there was also speculation that two other vehicles may have been involved.

Yono, who had stopped at Spears Bar and Grill with her son after shopping, said he was hit while crossing the road to get to a friend’s house. She recounted what she saw when she ran into the street.

“After I heard someone was hit,” said Yono, “I went outside to David and sat with him in the road and told him to hold on — then I saw another set of tire tracks across his chest.

“(The police) might not believe it, but I saw what I saw.”

There were no witnesses besides the single motorist who stopped and was investigated by police, Donakowski said, adding that anyone with information should call the Detroit Police Department Fatal Squad. No charges have yet been filed.

Yono said the moments before her son’s death are still fresh in her head and she’s hoping for some closure.

“I just kept patting him and telling him to hang on. ... When the police came, they sat me back (in a patrol car) and nobody told me anything,” she said. “I just want (whoever else is involved) to turn themselves in.”

The grieving mother, who is on disability, recently set up a fund with PNC Bank to raise money for Louis’ funeral. She said her son, who leaves behind two young sons, knew many who would want to pay their respects.

“I just want to put him away nice,” said Yono through tears. “I only get a certain amount a month ... anything would help.”

Marco Wallace, Louis’ brother, is also beside himself following his older brother’s death. He said the last words the 32-year-old said to him were, “I love you.”

A funny, energetic person with a great spirit, Louis always had a focus on what was happening in the moment, said his brother. The 32-year-old father worked many odd jobs, such as lawn care and maintenance.

“I’m just shocked,” Wallace, 15, said Monday. “No one thought that something like this would just happen out of the blue. ... Now he’s gone.”

He would always be the first to help others out, Wallace said.

Yono added that Louis would occasionally help the older citizens in the neighborhood with different tasks.

“He lost his grandmother three years ago, and I think he felt a connection to them,” she said.

Louis lived in Ferndale with his aunt, and leaves behind two young sons, 9 and 10.

Family asking for help

A fund through PNC Bank has been set up to help cover the costs of David J. Louis’ funeral. To donate to Louis’ mother to make this possible, visit fundly.com/help-david.